BY DAN GLICKMAN
The Rochester Red Wings are back where they fought so hard in the first half only to fall just short: in first place.
With a 13-3 win on Thursday at the Omaha Storm Chasers (23-23 in the second half, 56-64 overall), the Red Wings moved to 29-19 for the second half – the exact same record as the Indianapolis Indians and St. Paul Saints. Although Rochester has the best overall record in the league at 74-47, they must have the second half’s best record in order to qualify for a playoff spot.
Rochester’s win on Thursday was spearheaded by Seaver King, who went 4-for-6 with two home runs, six RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. The shortstop from Georgia has hit at least one home run in his last four games, and 13 in AAA this season so far. Sam Petersen and Trey Lipscomb also left the ballpark, with Lipscomb’s eighth inning solo shot giving him his 26th of the year – third in the league.
The Red Wings took the lead early, putting up four in the second inning: two on an error by Omaha first baseman Abraham Toro, and then two more on an RBI single to right by King. However, the Storm Chasers started cutting into the lead, putting up a run each in the third and fourth to halve the score to 4-2. Rochester responded in the top of the fifth when a run scored on a Max Romero Jr. groundout to extend the lead to 5-2, and while Omaha responded in the bottom half with the second of two Peyton Wilson solo shots, those three runs would be all the Royals affiliate would get all game.
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Rochester, however, kept pouring on the runs: Yohandy Morales singled in King in the sixth to up the score to 6-3. Petersen and King each hit two-run shots in the top of the seventh to put the Red Wings into double digits at 10-3, and then Lipscomb’s solo home run in the eighth and King’s two-run blast to center in the ninth brought about the 13-3 final score.
On the mound, the Red Wings again had to use a bullpen game, with Zak Kent starting the contest by going 2.2 innings, allowing two hits including a home run, and striking out five. Matt Krook earned the win in relief (2-0 in AAA) with a two-hit inning, allowing one earned run. Paxton Schultz, Carson Palmquist, Eddy Yean, Justin Lawrence, and Gus Varland stitched together the rest of the game.
The Red Wings will look to win their seventh straight game on Friday in Nebraska with a game set to start at 7:35 p.m. Right-hander Chandler Champlain, a former member of Omaha, is expected to start for Rochester.
Great coverage of the Red Wings!!
They are playing solid baseball and it is awesome that you are keeping us up to date